Live In The Moment
by Xtreme Hardyz Gurl
Summary: Madison is a RN who just got laid off from her job in NJ. While browsing the web for jobs, she comes across an ad for a live in position taking care of a guy who had a bad car accident. What will the two offer each other?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I don't own anyone or anything.  
This story popped into my head awhile ago, and I started writing it then forgot about it. I came across it today and decided to continue it. Hope you like it. Please R/R! :)

My life was over. I was 23, jobless, and broke. When my boss gave me the news that I was being laid off from my job, I couldn't see how I was going to get by. I was up to my neck in student loans that I had taken out for nursing school, which I had been working the crazy graveyard shift in the emergency room to pay off. The lease on my apartment was up in two weeks, along with my lease on life. Everything had gone to shit.

As I sat at my laptop browsing through hundreds of dead end job ads, I sighed. It didn't look like things were going to get better any time soon. With the lease on my apartment ending in a couple weeks, and no chance of renewing it without a steady income, I decided to try the next best thing. I found a website looking for registered nurses to work as live in home health aides. I emailed my resume, along with references, and waited; I figured it couldn't be too bad to live with some elderly person who needed full time care. Little did I know, I was about to get more than I bargained for.

The rental trailer was loaded up with my dearest possessions, the rest of which were in storage, as I made the long drive from New Jersey down to North Carolina. I had been contacted by the brother of a man who was in a bad car accident and would need a live in care giver for awhile. It was a huge decision for me to leave my home in New Jersey, where I was born and raised, and move to the slow country life of North Carolina, but I figured a change of pace would be good for me. Besides, they were paying me $1500.00 a week to take care of this guy, and I needed the money tremendously. As I turned onto the long road leading to the house I was going to be staying at, I couldn't help but feel queasy. Was I making the right decision? Sure, I had a few phone interviews with the brother, and he seemed like a really nice guy, but I couldn't help but second guess my decision. What if these people turned out to be crazy, and I ended up dead and buried in some wooded area? How was I going to handle living with a stranger? I took a deep breath and pulled into the driveway; I was going to give it a shot, if it didn't work out I could always look for something else.

I rang the doorbell and waited for what seemed like hours. The red bricks of the house seemed to go on for days; I was sure these people had money. As I waited for someone to come to the door, I wondered what they did for a living. The door finally opened, and I found myself staring up at a tall, dark haired man.

"You must be Madison, I'm Matt Hardy." He introduced himself with a smile as he extended his hand out to shake mine. His accent caught me by surprise; I always thought there was something incredibly attractive about a southern drawl.  
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Hardy." I answered, as he let go of my hand and moved to the side.  
"Please, call me Matt. Come on in. I'll get your bags and show you to your room."  
I followed Matt down a hallway and into a decent sized room. I glanced around the room, shocked at how nice it was. The walls were a nice olive color, and there was beautiful dark wood furniture throughout the room. A queen sized bed rested in the center of the room with its giant headboard against the wall, and a rather large flat screen TV hung on the opposite wall. This was definitely much nicer than what I was expecting.  
"I hope this is okay." Matt said as he set my bags down next to the bed and smiled. I returned the smile and nodded my head. Okay? This was way better than okay.  
"I'll let you get settled in, and when you're done you can meet me back in the living room where we came in and I'll give you a tour and introduce you to my brother."  
"Okay, thanks." I answered as Matt walked out of the room. I flung myself onto the bed and smiled. My head was spinning; I hadn't expected this place to be so nice. I started to put my things away, anxious to get back out there and begin my work. I had a feeling this was going to be a great experience.

I entered the living room about a half hour later and found Matt sitting on the couch watching TV. I studied him for a moment; he had long black hair that was pulled back into a neat pony tail, he seemed to be in really great shape, and he had a gorgeous smile that seemed to take up his whole face.  
"Excuse me, Mr. Hardy, I've finished unpacking." I said meekly, not wanting to interrupt his TV show.  
Matt looked up from the TV and smiled.  
"Please, call me Matt." He reminded me as he got to his feet. I nodded once more. I was going to have to allow myself to get comfortable. The accommodations were fantastic, and Matt seemed very nice, yet I still felt a little awkward. I knew it would pass with time; I just needed to get used to the new environment.  
"Come on, why don't you let me show you around?" He motioned for me to follow him as he exited the living room through an archway and let me into a rather large kitchen. I couldn't help but smile as I looked around; I had always dreamed of a big, inviting kitchen with an island in the center. The giant refrigerator was built right into the custom cabinets that seemed to go on for miles, and the small breakfast bar was accompanied by beautiful wooden stools. The kitchen was decorated beautifully, and it reminded me of the Tuscan countryside.  
"Well here's the kitchen. Feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge. I travel a lot, and I'll be returning to work in a week, but I'll leave you money to go food shopping." Matt said as I looked around and nodded. He led the way around the rest of the house, showing me the bathrooms and the laundry room, the dining room, his bedroom, and finally his brother's room. Matt knocked on the door as we waited outside for an invitation in.  
"Come in." The voice called from inside the room. Matt turned the door knob and opened the door, revealing a large room that was decorated similarly to the room I would be staying in.  
"Madison, this is Jeff. Jeff, Madison." He said with a smile as Jeff extended his hand out to me.  
"This is the nurse I hired to take care of you." Matt informed his brother as I shook Jeff's hand.  
"It's nice to meet you." I said with a smile.  
"Nice to meet you too." He responded. He had the same southern drawl as his brother and I couldn't help but melt a little. Those accents were sure to drive me insane.

Matt grabbed a folding chair from the closet and put it down in front of me.  
"Why don't I let you two get to know each other. Have a seat Madison; you must be exhausted from your trip. I'll go make us all some dinner." Matt said as he left the room.

There was a definite awkwardness in the air; neither Jeff nor I knew exactly how to approach the situation. We sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity before he finally spoke up.  
"So you're a nurse huh?" Jeff asked, turning off the TV and giving his full attention to me. I studied him for a moment. His hair was long like his brother's, although it was dyed multiple colors and was nowhere near as neat. He had these brilliant green eyes that seemed to see right through you, and his smile matched his brother's perfectly.  
"Yes sir." I answered, still feeling very uncomfortable. Jeff chuckled at my response.  
"Please, don't be so proper. Matt and I are very laid back; there's no need for you to be so stiff. Loosen up." He said with a grin. I immediately felt relaxed; somehow he had made all the weirdness in the room disappear with just a few words. I gathered up my nerve and decided to speak.  
"So, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to you?" I asked, still a little unsure if I should be prying. Jeff nodded his head as if he'd been expecting that question.  
"Well, honestly? I was out one night and I partied a little too hard. I knew I never should've driven home, but I thought I was invincible. It was snowing, I was driving too fast, and I spun out of control. I hit two parked cars before smashing into a tree. I wasn't wearing my seat belt and when I hit the tree I actually flew through the windshield and fractured my pelvic bone, which is the real reason I need you to take care of me. I can't really walk right now, and the doctors say it's gonna be a few weeks before I can." He answered. I studied him once more. He was wearing a neck brace, a cast on his right arm, and his forehead was covered in deep cuts that obviously had been stitched up.  
"Wow." I answered, not sure what to say. "It sounds like you're lucky that's all you got."  
Jeff nodded.  
"They said I could've been dead." He answered matter-of-factly. I took a deep breath before speaking up once more.  
"You say that so nonchalantly; are you not afraid of dying?" I asked cautiously. I knew it really wasn't in my job description to be grilling him about his philosophy on life, but I couldn't help but inquire. I was curious. Jeff actually chuckled at my question.  
"You don't know who I am, do you?"  
I shook my head. I hadn't the slightest idea.  
"My brother and I are professional wrestlers; The Hardy Boyz. You've heard of the WWE right?"  
I nodded my head; of course I'd heard of the WWE, but I'd never bothered to watch it or learn anything about it.  
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning drinking and driving; it was a stupid thing to do and I regret it completely. But I live my life a little differently than other people. I'm kind of notorious for being reckless. I'm the guy the company goes to when they want someone to do something crazy. It's not that I don't value life; it's actually the complete opposite. I live life to the fullest; I believe in taking risks and going against the grain. You only have one life, and who knows how long it's gonna last, so live in the moment."  
I sat there taking in his words; his philosophy made sense, too many people took life way too seriously. Maybe we should all be so lucky to be able to let loose and live life to the fullest.

As Matt made his way back into the room with a couple plates of food, I couldn't help but smile. I had a feeling I was going to learn a lot from these Hardy Boyz; specifically Jeff. Maybe I was sent here to help him heal, and he was supposed to teach me to live in the moment.


	2. This Ain't Nothin

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this up. I had half the chapter written, but got a little stuck with it. Thanks for all the favorites and alerts!  
Disclaimer: I own nothing.

I woke up very early the next morning, eager to start off on the right foot. I tiptoed through the house, careful not to wake anyone, and peeked into Jeff's room to make sure he was okay. Things seemed fine so I took a quick shower, threw on my favorite pair of Mickey Mouse scrubs, made breakfast for the guys, and then settled into the kitchen with a cup of coffee. I waited patiently for any sign of life in the house; it was only 8:00am, but I wasn't sure what time Jeff would wake up and need assistance. I was just about to pour myself another cup of coffee when I heard a loud crash.  
"God damnit!" the voice yelled from Jeff's bedroom. I jumped to my feet and ran as quickly as I could to the room. When I entered I was surprised to find Jeff sitting on the edge of his bed with a broken lamp at his feet.  
"Are you okay? What happened?" I asked, genuinely concerned for his well-being.  
"I'm fine." He grumbled. "I just have to piss." I scurried to his side and helped him to his feet. I could barely stand under the weight of his large frame, but thankfully he was able to walk; he just needed support. Jeff took slow baby steps, his arm wrapped around my shoulder, as we made our way to the bathroom. I was thankful he was almost able to walk without assistance; I wasn't sure I'd have been able to carry his full body weight on my own.  
We got to the bathroom and I walked him inside, positioning him in front of the toilet.  
"Do you need my help?" I asked, not sure if he would be able to stand on his own.  
"No." He responded briskly. I shrugged.  
"Are you sure? It's nothing I haven't seen before; I mean they train us to deal with this kind of stuff."  
"I'm fine, but if you don't go wait outside right now you're going to be cleaning up a large puddle on the floor." He answered. I took my cue and exited the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind me. I waited until I heard him call for me before returning to his side. I started to lead the way back to his room when Jeff stopped me.  
"I'd really rather be in the living room for a while. I swear I'm getting cabin fever from that room." He confessed, giving me a pleading look. I chuckled.  
"I understand. Come on; let's get you set up in the living room."  
I led the way to the living room where I laid Jeff down on the couch before fetching some pillows and a blanket for him. I grabbed the remote from the coffee table and the newspaper from the driveway so he had a couple forms of entertainment. I then returned to the kitchen to grab him a plate of breakfast.  
"How do you take your coffee?" I called out as I poured the coffee into a large mug.  
"Cream and sugar." He yelled back. I could hear the pages of the newspaper crumpling as he flipped through it. When I arrived back in the living room, Jeff's eyes lit up.  
"Are you kidding me? You didn't have to go through all this trouble; you're my nurse, not my maid. And when did you have time to do all this?"  
I smiled; I didn't mind making breakfast. The man had to eat, as did I, besides with the amount of money they were paying me it wasn't too much to ask that I make breakfast.  
"It's no trouble. I did it while you were sleeping."  
Jeff nodded as he dug into the plate of food that was resting on his stomach.  
"Jeff?" I questioned as I watched him eat. Now was as good a time as any to set some ground rules. "This morning, when the lamp broke, you were trying to get to the bathroom on your own right? I can't have you doing that. I'm here to take care of you. I'm here to make sure you don't overexert yourself and reinjure yourself. Please let me do that."

Jeff studied me for a moment before slowly nodding at my words.  
"You're right; I'm sorry."  
"Thanks; I can't have you getting hurt again. I'd lose my job, and I _need_ this job."  
Jeff chuckled at my words before shoveling another forkful of food into his mouth.  
"Well that's good because, as much as I hate to admit it, I need a nurse."  
I nodded; it was good to know we were on the same page. I needed him and he needed me.

We spent the rest of the day in the living room; Jeff was happy to be out of his bedroom for a change, and I was happy to be getting to know him. If I was going to be working with him, I needed to know who he was. He talked to me about his career, his brother, his friends, and whatever else happened to come up. I had to admit this was the first job that I had that felt more like fun than a job. Jeff spoke to me as if I was an old friend, and I really appreciated that. He really knew how to help with my comfort level. At some point in the mid-morning, Matt finally joined us. I excused myself to go heat him up some of the left over breakfast, then returned to find out if there was anything else I needed to know about the job.

"Madison, I'm gonna be heading back to work next week." Matt said as I sat the plate of food in front of him. "Is there anything you're gonna need before I go?"  
I thought for a second before shaking my head.  
"No, I think I'm okay. Everything is pretty much self-explanatory."  
Matt smiled at my words.  
"I have a feeling you're gonna fit in just fine here. You guys are getting along alright?"  
"We're fine Matt!" Jeff chimed in, quite obviously annoyed with Matt's interrogation. I chuckled and nodded.  
"Yes, everything is going great." I answered for myself. Everything did seem to be going exceptionally well so far. I had to admit, I had been extremely nervous going into it. As a young woman, it was scary to pick up and move to a place very far away from your home town and with two strange men that you know nothing about. Of course, after finding out who they were, I did some research on Matt and Jeff before bed the previous night. They seemed to be upstanding guys; Jeff had some drug problems, but nobody's perfect, and I knew I could help him with that if he needed. Matt seemed to be the father type in a way; he seemed like he was always thinking ahead, making the right decisions. Together, they seemed like great guys; I knew I had a lot to learn about them, but for some reason I trusted them. They made me comfortable.  
"Good, I'm glad to hear that." Matt answered with a smile as he shoveled another forkful of food into his mouth. "Where did you learn to cook? This is really good!"  
I grinned. "Thanks; my mom taught me when I was younger."  
"Mm, fantastic. Your mom must be an awesome cook."  
"She was." I nodded. "The best." My eyes fell to the floor; talking about my mom wasn't exactly on my list of things to do. She had passed away when I was fifteen and I missed her incredibly.  
"Was?" Matt questioned.  
"Yeah, she passed away when I was younger."  
"I'm sorry to hear that. Our mom passed away when we were young too."  
"Can we not talk about this?" Jeff growled, obviously aggravated with the conversation. He turned the volume on the TV up to an obnoxiously loud volume. Matt glanced at me with an apologetic look, and I nodded in response. I understood how it felt to not want to talk about things like that; it had taken me a long time before I was comfortable enough to discuss my mom's death.  
"Madison, would you mind joining me in the kitchen for a sec?" Matt asked, getting up from the couch. I followed without question.

"I'm really sorry about the way Jeff acted in there. We both took it hard when our mom died, but he still doesn't like to talk about it."  
"It's okay, I get it."  
"I just want you to know… sometimes Jeff isn't the most cooperative person. He can be stubborn and reserved and frankly, he can be a major pain in the ass." Matt chuckled slightly. I nodded.  
"In all honesty, I'm used to it. I don't think he can do anything that I haven't already seen at the hospital. I've had people scream at me, spit at me, kick at me. An attitude once in a while is not enough to scare me off."  
Matt's brown eyes studied me for a second before a smile crept to his face.  
"I knew there was something about you that I liked. I needed a nurse that wouldn't take Jeff's, excuse my language, shit. You're that person. I am one hundred percent sure that you're the perfect person for this job."  
I couldn't help but smile at his words. He knew I was right for the job. I had been going through such a hard time in my life before coming across the job, so it meant so much to me to know that Matt was happy with the decision he had made in hiring me. I was going to do everything I could to get Jeff back on track and to make sure that Matt was happy with the Job I was doing. I knew there were plenty of challenges to come, but I was ready for them.


End file.
